Phlox plant named ‘Flower Power’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Flower Power’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching habit; large inflorescences with numerous white-colored flowers with a pink blush; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox maculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Flower Power’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox maculata, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Flower Power.

The new Phlox is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact Phlox cultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Phlox originated from an open-pollination in 1996 in Hubbardston, Mass. of the Phlox maculata cultivar Omega, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Phlox maculata, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Phlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Hubbardston, Mass. in 1996.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings at Hubbardston, Mass. since 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Flower Power have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light level without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Flower Power’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Flower Power’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Large inflorescences with numerous white-colored flowers with         a pink blush.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Omega. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hubbardston, Mass. plants of the new Phlox differed from plants of the cultivar Omega in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox had longer and narrower         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Omega.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox and the cultivar Omega differed in         flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Omega had         white-colored flowers with small pink-colored centers.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to the Phlox cultivar Indico, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,389. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hubbardston, Mass., plants of the new Phlox differed from plants of the cultivar Indico in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox were much more compact than plants of         the cultivar Indico.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox had shorter internodes than plants of         the cultivar Indico.     -   3. Plants of the new Phlox and the cultivar Indico differed in         flower color as plants of the cultivar Indico had solid         white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Phlox. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Flower Power’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Pennsylvania in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under commercial production practices. Plants were grown in gallon containers and were about five months old when the photograph and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 21 to 46° C. and night temperatures ranged from 18 to 29° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox maculata cultivar Flower Power. -   Parentage: Open-pollination of the Phlox maculata cultivar Omega,     not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown     selection of Phlox maculata, as the male, or pollen, parent. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 29° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 18 days at 29°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About four weeks at             29° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and compact plant habit; columnar             form; moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely branching             habit, about six lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 18 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Older stems, smooth, glabrous; young stems with sparse             pubescence. Color: 146A overlain with close to 187A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 5.1 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute to acuminate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A;             venation, similar to lamina. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, similar to             lamina. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single, rounded salverform flowers             arranged in large panicles; flowers pinwheel in shape with             imbricate petals. Flowers face upright and outward. Freely             flowering habit; one inflorescence per lateral branch; each             inflorescence with about 13 clusters of flowers with eight             flowers per cluster.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet and fresh.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering throughout             the summer in Pennsylvania. Flowers persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about seven to ten             days on the plant.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.75 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: Towards the base, close to             145D; towards the apex, close to 155D.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2 cm. Depth: About 2.5 cm. Throat             diameter: About 3 mm. Tube length: About 2.3 cm. Tube             diameter, base: About 1.75 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals imbricate; petals fused at the base into a             narrow tube. Lobe length: About 9 mm. Lobe width: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Roughly spatulate. Apex: Broadly acute.             Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: Developing             and fully expanded petals, upper surface: Close to 155D             blushed with close to 61A. Developing and fully expanded             petals, lower surface: Close to 155D blushed with close to             61B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 50 to 60° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 0 to 30° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Anther shape: Linear, elongated. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther diameter: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close             to 15A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 15A.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: Typically one. Pistil length:             About 2.1 cm. Stigma shape: Tri-parted. Stigma color: Close             to 9A. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: Close to             145C. Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed     to be somewhat resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Phlox     have not been noted to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and tolerated     temperatures from −28 to 46° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘Flower Power’, as illustrated and described. 